I took my home-made 14m out at 3rd on Sunday. First time I had it on the water.

The good news is that I got exactly what I designed.

The bad news is that my design had some problems.

I had a super small front tube and way too much profile depth too close to the tips. As a result it jellyfishes a little and the bar pressure is pretty heavy compared to modern front-line flyers. Next time I go out I'll move the front attach points back a little.

But it goes upwind like a rocket and has an immense amount of power. I can't oversheet it....the more I pull, the more it pulls. Turning speed and jumping are just so-so.

If any of you see me at the beach and want to try it out just gimme a holler. It's red with white ribs and tips.

I'm not ready to replace all my name-brand kites yet, but I'm hooked enough to have ordered more material for a 10m.

-Tim

PS - unless your time is completely worthless you won't save any money making your own kites. There's a reason these are all made in China.